Albus Severus Potter and the Syndicate
by Thalia B. White
Summary: Albus Severus Potter's Adventures at Hogwarts. Please leave me a review!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One-**

As soon as Albus Severus Potter boarded the scarlet Hogwarts express, he was pretty sure life was going to be very different from now on. James had told him all sorts of stories about Hogwarts, not all of which he liked. Of course, he wasn't fool enough to believe James' tale of the hiccupping vampire he had cured at Halloween, nor the story where he had caught the snitch after a 50 foot dive, knocking out 3 mountain trolls in the process, him being the best Quidditch player in over a century, of course. These, Albus highly doubted- though James was a good flier, Albus thought, he was sure Lily would top him when she finally arrived! Their sister was the best flier Albus had ever seen, and was not ashamed to admit it! However, as he trudged through the crowded train, he thought not about the trolls, but yet again about Slytherin. "Slytherin's where they'll put you, Al!" James had yelled across the dining room that very morning, "Slytherin's where they put all the LOSERS". Albus knew, of course, that James wasn't being serious (or "sirius" as James tended to say), but he still wondered...

"Hello!"

Albus spun around. His thoughts had been interrupted by a small, round faced boy with sandy hair. The boy was staring at him with an ecstatic grin on his face. He saw the boy's eyes make the familiar flick towards his forehead and back. To be honest, Albus was getting annoyed with this constant association with his father. The boy was buzzing with excitement as he said,

"You're Albus Severus Potter, aren't you?"

The boy held out a podgy hand towards him. "I'm Connor. Connor Finnigan!"

The boy, Connor, looked expectantly at Albus. Albus racked his brain for any mention of a Connor Finnigan, but found none. This obviously showed on his face, because the boy began again, a little uncertainty this time.

"Finnigan. My dad's Seamus Finnigan..."

Again, Albus searched his memories for any Finnigans, but found none. He decided to change the subject.

"How did you know my name?" said Albus.

Connor's eyes flicked again to his forehead, and said,

"Well you're Harry Potter's son aren't you?"

Albus sighed. Here it was again. Could he go NO-WHERE without someone mentioning his father? He loved his father, of course, but he was getting a little sick of "You look so much like your father, Albus..." In fact, the only difference anyone could note about them was the thin, lightening-shaped scar on Harry Potter's forehead. When he, James, and Lily were little, the scar had been an object of mystery in the Potter household- they had played a game, trying to touch it without him noticing, but when Albus was 10, his mother and father had deigned to tell him, as they had told James at that age, the story of that scar- how an evil dark wizard named Lord Voldemort (Ginny had shuddered at the name) had killed Harry's parents, his grandparents, how Harry had defeated Voldemort all those 19 years ago, and how he was still famous for it- the boy who lived. Of course, James had taken this in his stride, joking that the title must be passed on to Harry's eldest child, but Albus had taken the matter more seriously. However, you couldn't live in awe of someone if you lived with them 24/7, so Albus got used to having a famous dad. He wished everyone else would too. Suddenly realising that the boy wanted an answer, he said:

"Oh. Uh well... do I know you? I don't think I've ever heard of any Finnigans."

"My dad- he used to go to school with your dad... his best friend dated you mum..."

"Sorry, no" said Albus, without thinking. The boy's face fell.

"Well... bye then." He started to walk away, trailing his enormous trunk behind him.

Cursing his insensitivity, Albus cried "Wait!"

The boy turned around.

"You seem... alright. Want to help me find my cousin Rose? She went to find a compartment and that was the last I saw of her."

Connor considered this for a second, then that Cheshire-cat smile returned.

"Ok!" he said, and began to pull his vast suitcase towards Albus. Albus took one look at the boy's grinning face, and knew he had found a friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two-**

"Where have you BEEN Al?" Rose had jumped up almost as soon as Albus had walked in. She sounded exactly like Grandma Molly. "I was really quite worried you know you **said** you were going to be here in a minute and I was quite scared really that Scorpius Malfoy dropped by and I'm pretty sure he was hitting on me but I told him to go away and then he said something about...-" Rose's voice trailed away as she spotted Connor. Albus was certain he hadn't understood a word she said. It was very hard to understand Rose at the best of times. She spoke at the speed of light, and often appeared to be talking in fast-forward! Making a deliberate effort to slow down, she said, at one tenth her normal speed, but at least double the speed of a normal person: "I'm Rose. Rose Weasley." Connor looked Rose up and down. He looked at Albus, then back at her.

"Name's Connor Finnigan." he muttered. They shook hands and sat down.

The silence was awkward for a few minutes, then, to Albus' disappointment, Rose brought the subject round to houses.

"Of course I'd love to be in Gryffindor my mum and dad were both in Gryffindor and all dad's family but not my mum's of course they're Muggles and I know mum and dad wouldn't think any less of me if I was a Ravenclaw mum says she was nearly a Ravenclaw...-"

Albus switched off whilst Rose delivered this speech. (Connor looked fascinated) He thought back to what his father had said on the platform..."You'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The sorting hat takes your choice into account" "Really?" "It did for me" ... he wondered again if this was true...

"Al?" He jumped, awoken from his trance, to find standing over him. "You didn't even **hear** what I said, did you Al?"

"Uhh..."

"Honestly you're **exactly **like Hugo sometimes." she said, exasperated. "I was only asking if you wanted a snack." She pointed to a trolley in the doorway. The trolley was stacked miles high with every sweet you could think of! All Albus's favourites were there (chocolate frogs and fizzing whizbees), and James's favourites (cockroach clusters and sugar quills) and there were even a few red and black bars at the bottom labelled "Mars bars". He had a feeling he had seen one of his second cousins (Dudley's son, Piers), engulfing one of them on the Potter family's last visit to the Dursley household- occasions that he, Lily, and James dreaded. He decided he'd stick with the familiar types, thank you very much.

It occurred to him that an old witch was standing behind it, tapping her watch.

"Umm... I'll have 3 fizzing whizbees and a pack of Drooble's best blowing gum please."

The witch handed him the sweets and he gave her four sickles. As she walked off, wheeling her trolley behind her, Albus slumped down onto the seat, and his thoughts turned yet again to-

"Hey Al! Want a game of exploding snap?" Albus sighed, and leaned forward as Connor dealt him in...

A couple of hours later, Rose had gone into another compartment while the boys changed into their new school robes. Albus looked down at his robes. He had waited for this day his whole life. His first day at Hogwarts. He had fantasised about it, wished he was there, but now he was... well...

"All done?" came Rose's voice from outside the compartment. She marched back into the compartment and closed the door. They were nearing school now, and Albus gathered up his trunk, owl (Hera), and his dad's parting gift: a blank piece of parchment and a letter. At first he had thought it was one of James' tricks, but his father had assured him it was genuine. He had decided to open it upon arrival to his dormitory. He liked Connor, but this was a private thing- he might have shared it with Rose, but she wouldn't be in his dormitory. No. This was for him alone.

Suddenly the train screeched to a halt. The caterpillars in his stomach hatched into butterflies as he looked at Rose, then Connor, and then slowly led the way out of the compartment...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three-**

"Firs' years! Firs' years! This way!"

Rubeus Hagrid, now far older than when he and Harry had first met, stood by the train, beckoning the 11 year olds towards him. The huge man was wearing a thick moleskin coat, out of which his hands, which were the size of dustbin lids, were protruding. His brown hair was now grey, and his thick beard was thin and wispy. Albus, Rose, and Connor walked over to him as he beckoned.

"Hallo there Al! And you Rose!" Hagrid was a frequent visitor to both families, and Albus and Rose knew him well. "And who's this with yer then?" he said, looking down at Connor.

Connor, who looked scared stiff, opened and closed his mouth several times, and then looked at Albus. Albus laughed:

"This is Hagrid, Connor! I said he was tall didn't I!"

"I didn't think you meant **that** tall" muttered Connor sheepishly.

Grinning, Albus turned back to Hagrid: "Hey Hagrid! This is Connor. Connor Finnigan."

"Yer'll be Seamus Finnigan's son?"

Connor gave a small nod.

"Yer look like 'im an' all. Good to meet yer. Firs' years! Any more firs' years?"

Most of the first years seemed to be reacting in much the same way as Connor upon seeing Hagrid. Albus and Rose suppressed giggles as a group of girls behind them revealed their fears of becoming the half-giant's dinner. Hagrid wouldn't hurt a fly. He was perfectly capable of mothering dragons and breeding monsters, but eating a first year? Those girls had **extremely **over-active imaginations...

After checking they were all there, Hagrid led the first years along the steep, narrow path that Albus guessed led to the black lake. He knew a lot about Hogwarts from his mum and dad, and of course, James. They turned a corner and finally, Albus saw it. Hogwarts. He had dreamed of this moment his entire life, but now it was here, he just wanted to run and hide. The huge stone castle stood atop a huge mountain, windows sparkling in all its grandeur. There was silence for a few moments, except for the fast breathing induced by the path, while they looked on in amazement, Hagrid looking fondly at the vast building.

Hagrid checked a battered brown watch, and announced that they should get going. "No more'n four to a boat!" he shouted.

As Albus clambered, still panting, into a boat with Rose, Connor and Hagrid, Rose and Hagrid immedietly struck up a conversation:

"Hagrid, what exactly is the point of the first years going in on boats?"

"Of'n wondered tha' meself. S' prob'ly cos yer wanna make an entrance innit? All part o' tradition. All leadin' up to the sorting, innit? Speaking of the sorting, you lot reckon yer'll be in Gryffindor?"

"Mmm" said Albus, nervously.

Rose began, at 50 words a second: "Well of course I **hope** I'm in Gryffindor but Ravenclaw would be alright I suppose and I've heard Hufflepuff is underrated, but if I was placed in **Slytherin** I think I'd **leave** don't you Al?"

"Mmm" Albus nodded.

Rose gave him a concerned look. "What's the matter Al?"

"What? Nothing!"

"Oh, you're not still worrying about being put in Slytherin are you? I've **told **you there's nothing to worry about you'll never be put in Slytherin you're far too good plus you're not even pure blood ..."

This particular lecture carried on for around 10 minutes, and Albus was glad to get away from the freezing night air, Rose's voice echoing through it, and up a fleet of stone stairs guarding the huge oak front door. Hagrid knocked, and adrenaline flooded through Albus. The door was immediately opened by a very tall woman. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, with just one piece hanging in front of her face, not quite managing to cover up a thin scar on the side of her head. She glanced quickly around the room, and spotted Albus looking at it. Tears filled her eyes, but she gave him a firm stare.

"You may leave now, Hagrid." To the students, she said: "Follow me."

"What was that about, Al?" Asked Rose as they climbed another flight of steps

"I dunno. Maybe-" Albus sighed and voiced his opinions. "Well every time someone's done that before, it's been about my dad." Albus said bitterly."She probably got that scar saving his life or something."

Rose looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything else.

As they were led up yet another fleet of stone steps and into a massive hall, Albus was just thinking he could do with a feast and a nap right now when the unnamed Professor interrupted his fantasies:

"Welcome, first years. My name is Professor McGonagall. In a few minutes I will take you through these doors and into the great hall. There, you will be sorted into a four houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Each house has its own properties and traditions, and there is to be **no** (and at that point, she glared at a pale, blonde boy Albus presumed was Scorpius Malfoy) discrimination between these houses. I will now leave you for a few minutes while you- ah, smarten yourselves up..." She glared this time at Connor, whose robes and shoes were muddied from the journey across the lake, his laces untied. The professor walked briskly from the room and the crowd broke out in whispers.

"Look!" muttered Rose.

"What? Where? Why?" said Albus.

"Shhh. Keep your voice down. Scorpius Malfoy. He's looking at me."

Albus' eyes searched for the pale blonde head among the brown and black, and found it in the bottom corner of the room. Sure enough, Scorpius was staring at her, transfixed.  
He turned back to Rose, puzzled. Rose looked positively terrified.

"You don't think...-"

But Albus never found out what Rose thought, because that very moment, Professor McGonagall strode back in.

"In a line, please." she shouted against the chatter.

The first years assembled anxiously into a line, some pushing to get to the front, others shrinking to the back. Albus slotted in behind Rose towards the front of the line; Connor got shunted to the back, just behind Scorpius, who, Albus noted, was still staring at Rose, as though he couldn't help himself; his pale blue eyes, entranced.  
Suddenly, the doors to the great hall burst open. Albus took a deep breath. This was the first day of the rest of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four-

Albus screwed up his eyes as he entered the massive hall. The room was so brightly lit with thousands of candles, that his eyes took a few seconds to adjust. He looked in front of him to Rose, whose mouth formed an "O" shape. Speechless, he made to turn to the boy behind him, but his eyes caught the Slytherin table instead, reminding him of his worries. Albus gulped as the line moved forward. The number of steps until he got to the stool, sitting in pride of place in the centre of the hall, seemed to Albus to be the number of steps towards Slytherin house and impending doom. He was so distracted walking up the aisle that he didn't notice they had stopped moving, and crashed into Rose, who stumbled, but managed to keep her balance. Embarrassed, Albus attempted to steady himself, but heard James' laughter coming from the Gryffindor table. His face red-hot with embarrassment, Albus stood straight again just as the hall fell silent, all looking at the hat. It seemed to be looking around the hall, but how, Albus had no idea. Surely hats couldn't see? It would need eyes, at least! The hat let out what seemed to be a sigh, and began its song:  
"Some nineteen years ago,  
Harsh Wandlight here did glow,  
The Battle of Hogwarts was on,  
But Brave Harry had come along.  
Many involved in the Victory,  
Had come to save the day,  
Brave Harry, Ron, Hermione,  
Were Obvious Critical Parts,  
Their Gryffindoral Courage,  
Gave strength to their warm hearts.  
But yet in Dumbledore's army,  
Were many a noble child,  
Who fought the darkest evil,  
It wasn't just strength that was trialled.  
Wise Luna, who came from Ravenclaw,  
Played her part in the plan,  
Paved the way to the final war,  
The Carrows were dead, it began.  
And when it was almost lost for us,  
There arose a mighty roar,  
For Hufflefuff's Ernie Macmillan,  
Had cast his Patronus Boar.  
And though in this terrible battle,  
Slytherin often was bad,  
Young Draco held the Elder wand,  
And of this, or Harry was glad.  
For When he faced that Voldemort:  
He-Who-Can-Now-Be-Named,  
The wand's great power was Potter's now,  
And all that power, he tamed.  
The Darkest Lord of evil,  
Defeated, doomed to death,  
Cast one last spell at Harry,  
But breathed his final breath.  
So houses, be together,  
Be at one, UNITE!  
For all of you are needed and,  
Will, all evil, smite!"

Albus sighed, and clapped along as the hall erupted into applause. Another song about his father, and had he seen people staring at him, James, Scorpius, and even Rose during song? Would he never be free of this? The applause seemed to be short lived, though, because it quickly stopped as McGonagall stepped to the front.

"When I call your name, you will proceed to the front of the hall and I will place the sorting hat onto your head."

Professor McGonagall took a browning piece of parchment from her pocket, and read the first name from it.  
"Aarons, Marcus."

For a few seconds, no-one stepped forward, and then, with a thud, a well-built boy with a surly face and thickset eyebrows was pushed out of the line by (presumably) his friend, and Aarons slouched up to the stool. The hat had barely touched his head when it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" and jumped off his head of its own accord as if it was having an allergic reaction to the boy. A sly grin spread across his face, and he hurried off to the table on the far left, which had burst into applause.

"Boot, Andrea."

A terrified looking girl with Auburn hair scampered up to the stool. "RAVENCLAW!" The girl ran off to the table second from the left

"Bright, Sarah."

As the girl stepped out of use line, Albus could have sworn that use whole hall stopped. There was no other word to describe her. She was simply radiant. Her white-blonde hair flowed behind her as she proceeded to the stand. Maybe he should jump out at her? Or he could back flip over the tables? That seemed a good idea to impress her, but was it enough? Albus looked desperately around the hall for inspiration. The only person not in awe, it seemed, was Albus' cousin, Victorie, who, stunningly pretty herself, was looking amusedly around the hall from her seat on the Ravenclaw table. Then it hit him- "Of course!" Thought Albus. This must be Victorie's cousin, that is, Gabrielle Delacour's daughter. He had never actually met her, but he knew that she was a very close friend to Louis and like a sister to Victorie from the Potter family's many visits to Shell Cottage. Victorie mouthed something in French to Sarah, and gave her a double thumbs up as the hat fell over her eyes. 2 minutes later, she was still sitting there. Finally, after what seemed like 3 hours rather than 3 minutes, the hat shouted

"H-RAVENCLAW!" H-Ravenclaw? Albus thought. Nearly a Hufflepuff then? Sarah ran to the Ravenclaw table and hugged Victorie, who began conversing with her rapidly in French. Everyone's eyes reluctantly turned back to Professor McGonagall, who began reading from the list again.

10 minutes later, "Creevey, Amy" had become the first Gryffindor, to tumultuous applause from the table on the far left; "Davies, Chelsea" and "East, Katelyn" had been sorted into Hufflepuff", and then "Finnigan, Connor" was called.

A twitch of a smile began at the corner of Albus' mouth. It was the sort of name that was impossible to say without acquiring some element of an Irish accent, and McGonagall had completely lost her usual Scottish accent in an attempt to say his name. She looked most displeased at this, and straightened her robes to avoid looking at anyone. Connor, however, looked extremely nervous and vaguely nauseous as he stepped up to the stool and put on the hat, which fell right down over his face. After a few agonizing seconds with his fingers crossed, Albus heard the hat cry "GRYFFINDOR!" and Connor's face visibly relaxed as he hurried off to join the Gryffindors, sitting next to Amy, who had slid to the left to make a spot for him on the cramped benches and immediately begun to introduce herself, her little brother who wasn't old enough to be at Hogwarts yet, and what sounded like her entire family history. She seemed to motion towards Albus and he looked back towards Professor McGonagall, hoping that he, too, would be placed there.

As the next quarter of an hour ticked by, "Guest, Jeremy", "Hand, Emily", "Jacobs, Natalie" and a few others Albus couldn't recall passed without interest. "Loe, Sandi" and what must have been her twin brother: "Loe, Daniel" became the newest Slytherins, and then a familiar name came up:  
"Malfoy, Scorpius."

He heard Rose give a sharp intake of breath as Malfoy passed her on his way to the stand. Rose muttered something Albus couldn't quite hear, then "...A Slytherin for sure... Dad... never in my house... please... can't..." but she stopped as soon as Malfoy put on the hat, though Albus noticed that she had crossed her fingers for luck. But why did she need luck? If the hall wasn't so quiet, Albus might have asked her, but he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. He wished the hat would hurry up with Malfoy, but it soon became clear that Scorpius Malfoy was going to be a hatstall. A hastall, as Albus knew from his father's many tales of his schooldays, was a Hogwarts term for a new student who takes more than five minutes to sort, and being one wasn't good. A good seven minutes later, Malfoy was still sitting on the stool. Albus heard many stomachs rumble around the hall, and noticed that Rose seemed to be going paler, and was just about to ask her if she was alright when the sorting hat yelled:

"RAVENCLAW!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five-**

"What?"  
Several people turned to look at Albus. He hadn't realised he had said it out loud, though he wasn't the only one that was shocked. Rose was simply staring, stunned, at Scorpius, and Professor McGonagall made no attempt to hide her surprise. Malfoy, however, looked just as confused as everyone else as he slowly approached the Ravenclaw table to sit next to Andrea Boot, who shifted away from Malfoy as he sat down.

Rose was muttering furiously, "But... Dad said... all pure bloods... why would... his father..."

These words continued through the sorting of "McKinnon, Sophie" ("HUFFLEPUFF"), "Oliver, Meredith" ("GRYFFINDOR"), and "Pine, Eva" ("HUFFLEPUFF"), and though Albus tried to understand what she was saying, he could only pick out odd words, "Mum", "Can't", and a word that sounded rather like "Bubblegum", but Albus wasn't sure he had heard this correctly. Finally, after another few millenniums, Albus's heart buzzed with excitement and anxiety as he heard "Potter, Albus".

The familiar whispers followed him up the hall as he stumbled up to the stool. He saw McGonagall holding the hat above his head, and could have sworn he heard her whisper "Good luck" before the black insides of the hat plunged him into darkness.

Albus started as a voice appeared in his head. "Aha! Potter's son, eh? The second one! The talent's there... and you're a hard worker... perhaps Hufflepuff material... but I can see the courage... and an ambition, too, plenty..."

Albus suddenly recalled what his father had said... that the sorting hat would take his choice into account. He decided to put this theory into practice. Gripping the sides of the stool, he muttered, "Please don't put me in Slytherin."  
"Slytherin?" The hat shouted, making Albus's head hurt, "You? Ha! Not even pure blood! That Ambition of yours isn't enough for that house... no... I think you'll go to... GRYFFINDOR!"  
Overjoyed, Albus scampered off to the Gryffindor table to sit next to Connor. As James clapped him on the back rather too hard ("And one more for luck!"), he looked around for Neville, or now, he supposed, Professor Longbottom. He found him up on the high table, to the left, and they exchanged thumbs ups, Neville accidentally knocking his goblet off the table.  
His eyes then found the central seat that he knew had once contained countless great witches and wizards, including Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, his namesakes. The seat was now taken by Lorian Yonwin, former Ministry of Magic executive. After the war, he had lost all his family, countless friends, and his job at the ministry. After spending six months imprisoned in Azkaban with a former Hogwarts professor, going back to the Ministry he hated was hardly an option, so he followed Aurora Sinistra back to Hogwarts and eventually worked his way up to headmaster. This, Albus knew from his father, who was on good terms with the headmaster, as he, himself, came in often to give Defence against the Dark Arts talks.  
Professor McGonagall, who had momentarily stopped to clap for Albus, cleared her throat, and read out the next name:  
"Raynor, Ian." A scrawny boy with dark brown hair joined the Slytherins.  
"Slater, Marion." A small blonde girl scuttled off to the Hufflepuff table.  
"Thorpe, Daniel." The green haired boy followed Marion.  
"Underwood", "Unit", "Wade"... There couldn't be many more left now. Albus stood up slightly to see over the head of a burly 4th year. Only 3 more. Surely Rose would be next...  
"Weasley, Rose."  
Albus watched apprehensively as Rose walked quickly to the front and pulled on the hat. He found himself crossing his fingers, repeating his mantra of "Please Gryffindor. Please Gryffindor." Rose looked chalk white under the hat and seemed to be fighting some kind of battle inside her head. Rose's face gained a resigned look, and she nodded. What could this mean? Thought Albus. What if sh- "RAVENCLAW!" Called the sorting hat. Rose looked about to cry as she stumbled up to the table second on the left. She gave Albus a small, sad, smile as she sat next to Victorie, who began whispering to her. That made Rose the second Weasley not to be put in Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw instead. Albus couldn't take it in. Rose wasn't with him, wasn't in the same house as him. He had thought he, she, and Connor were... a trio. Together. Now... well...  
He had been so sure, so sure she'd be in Gryffindor... he hadn't worried about her... she was clever, obviously, but Aunt Hermione had been a Gryffindor...  
Albus was worried enough to miss the next name, but as the last person stood there, a very pretty girl, he noted, with dark brown eyes and red hair, he thought he ought to watch her.  
"Whistance, Rue."  
As Rue strode to the front, Albus couldn't help but notice her. She was very tall, with freckles and long red hair, which flowed behind her until she reached the stool. The hat was on for less than 5 seconds, before it screamed out "RAVENCLAW!"  
Albus sighed, and watched her walk to her table. Another person in Ravenclaw. She had looked nice, as well. As McGonagall rolled up the parchment, Albus ticked off the Gryffindors on his fingers. There was him, Connor, Meredith, Amy, that boy... Jeremy? And then Natalie. And then another boy whose name he didn't know. That wasn't very many. Only 7. 6 other First years in his house. But not Rose. Suddenly, Albus felt a hand on his back.  
"Alright, little bro?" James Potter was standing behind him.  
Albus stared down into his empty plate. A bespectacled, tear stained first year looked back up at him. It took some time for Albus to realise that this was him. He looked back up to James, and said, "Rose. She's... she's not in Gryffindor. I thought... She..." Albus leaned over the table miserably. "Never mind."  
James patted him on the back. "There'll be others, Al." Maybe James thought he was being a little too out of character, for he finished with: "Or maybe not, who'd want to be friends with you?!"  
The last bit sounded more like the James he knew, thought Albus, as James disappeared back to his friends.

Suddenly, Albus heard a loud *CRASH*. He immediately spun around to the source of the noise and located the problem. It seemed that the surprise of the strange apparition of food suddenly appearing on silver platters in front of him had knocked Connor backwards off his seat. As the hall roared with laughter, Albus pulled him up.  
"You ok?" He said.  
Cheeks flushed, Connor muttered "M'alright."  
The food was good though, thought Albus, halfway through a chicken leg. Connor seemed to have forgotten his previous misgivings and was shovelling the food into his mouth. He shot Albus a grin and picked up another potato waffle.

When the last crumbs had left Albus's plate, having vanished into thin air along with the rest of the food, Albus took this as a sign to face the staff table at the front. This must have been correct, because Professor Yonwin stood up, and began talking.  
"I wish to welcome all new students to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope you have as pleasant a time here as I did. I would like to remind certain first years ... (Albus rolled his eyes as the headmaster cast a look at the Gryffindor table and caught his eye) ...that the dark times are over, and we can ensure you will all be safe here. As you all know... Speech making is hardly one of my fortes... (Yonwin assumed a grim expression)... so now it's time for the school song... (Some of the teachers smiled slightly)...Unfortunately, We appear to have run out of time again, so we will have to settle for a mental sing-along and off to bed!"

Albus laughed. It was more than common knowledge that Yonwin loathed the infamous school song. Feeling much heavier than before and chuckling along with the rest, Albus and Connor got up from the Gryffindor table and traipsed out the great hall, joining in with the unauthorised chorus of "Hoggy Warty Hogwarts" as he went. A twinge of sadness hit Albus as he spotted a downtrodden Rose getting up from the Ravenclaw table. She glanced over at Albus and gave him a sad little smile, before proceeding out of the hall, Sarah and Victorie behind her, still whispering in French. Scorpius was right at the back of the line. Reluctantly, Albus walked forward up the stairs with the rest of the Gryffindors, but he couldn't stop worrying about Rose. With people like Scorpius around, who knew what might happen? Well, he'd never actually met Scorpius before, much less talked to him, but this was the son of Draco Malfoy. The offspring of his father's schoolboy enemy... he couldn't be exactly nice.

Albus let out a silent scream of pain as he realised he had his foot trapped... In the staircase.  
"Connor, Con, help me mate." said Albus. As Connor heaved him out the trick step, Albus realised he was attracting the attention of two second year girls, who were pointing at him, sniggering. Albus straightened himself up, slightly embarrassed, and resumed his walk up the staircase.  
"Thanks," he muttered to Connor as they climbed. "Who'd put a trick step in a staircase?"  
"My brother would." mumbled Connor.

Albus grinned at him.

"Yeah, mine too."

They exchanged smiles.

"How old's your brother again?" said Albus.

"Seventh year. But don't bother looking for him." Connor added hastily: he must have noticed that Albus had been looking around for anyone with the trademark sandy hair.

"Why not?" Asked Albus.

Connor sighed. "Because he was put in Slytherin."

"What? But, if your dad was a Gryffindor, and was your mum..."

"Yeah, mum's a Gryffindor. Nadia Lewis," he said proudly, "She's as Gryffindor as they come. Saved my father from some burning wreckage in the battle of Hogwarts. That's how they met. But my brother, Danny-" Connor stopped abruptly as the line of Gryffindor first years reached a large portrait of a... large lady. The lady looked down on them with an air of superiority, and said: "Password?"

A tall blonde girl stepped forward from the crowd, a shiny red and gold prefect badge shining on her chest.

"Forget-me-not" she said confidently.

"Indeed." replied the portrait, and it swung open to reveal a large room covered in red and gold hangings containing four squashy armchairs surrounding a large fire, which was crackling happily, and several chairs and tables scattered around the room. A notice board in the corner welcomed the new students by shouting at them the prominently displayed message: "Wipe your feet- we don't want Tig up here again."

Wondering mildly who "Tig" was, but feeling too full and sleepy to think too much, Albus wandered, yawning, towards the staircase pointed out by a surly fifth year prefect. He walked up the spiral staircase to the highest level until he found his name written neatly on a sheet of paper pinned to a wooden door with 3 other names on, Connor Finnigan, Jamie Lore and Jeremy Guest. Albus opened the door and collapsed on the four poster next to the window. He had intended to change into his pyjamas, but once on the bed, he could not stop his eyes from closing. He managed to mutter a short "night" and his mind fell instantly into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

At 2am, Albus woke, soaking wet, from his slumber. The sun was streaming through the window on the opposite side of the room. Out of the corner of his bleary eyes, he spotted the empty jug lying near his bed. This was obviously some prank by the other boys in his dorm. He glanced over to the motionless Connor, willing to bet five galleons that he was in some way involved. He may have only just met Connor, but there was more than a small part of his new friend that reminded him of his brother James. He was annoyed, but this wasn't too out of the ordinary: Albus was no stranger to pranks; it was an occupational hazard of growing up with James. He got out of the four-poster and, locating his trunk beside the bed opposite (Connor's, incidentally), began his way towards it, dripping water all over the floor, with the intention of taking out some new pyjamas and maybe a towel. It was then that he realised the reason he had woken. His trunk was rattling, a hint of a shout emitting from the black interior. Albus looked around, considering waking Connor, but then, remembering the water prank, decided he could do this alone. He wasn't angry at Connor, just a bit annoyed, but he wasn't going to give him the pleasure of seeing him wet and dripping as a result of his handiwork. Albus cautiously placed one hand on the trunk and slowly undid the clasp. The trunk burst open, and in there, squashed shouting and crying, sat...

"Lily?"

Lily stopped bawling enough to register Albus's presence, and then stood up and threw herself on him, crying on his shoulder and hugging him. Baffled as he was, the boy in the bed next to his (Jamie, he presumed) was beginning to wake, and Albus didn't want to involve him or anyone else in this family matter.

"What the- Lily... follow me."

Albus led the sobbing Lily down the stairs and into the empty common room, where he deposited her into a large armchair and sat down on the chair next to her.

"Come on then," Albus began, "Spill, Lils. How did you get here?"

Lily leaned forward, the remnants of her tears still burning her face.

"Magic. I did magic, Al."

Albus was aghast. Lily Luna Potter had never performed one magical act in her life. She could ride a broom (an ability only occasionally found in non-magical people) but that was it. She had never changed her hair colour like Teddy, never made glass vanish as her father claimed he had, or even, like James, bring a doorway down on a three year old Albus, who had obviously annoyed him in some way, an experience Albus wished to remain forgotten. If it were not for her skill on a broomstick, Harry and Ginny might have given up hope of there being any magic in her. And now this? Albus was pleased for his sister, who had always thought her lack of magical skill a matter of the deepest shame, but still completely confused as to what had happened.

"Carry on?" Albus replied.

"It was just after we got home from the station. I was lonely, and I wished you were here, or I was at Hogwarts, and then suddenly I was in your trunk. I think you must have already changed into your robes, because you didn't open it, not even when I banged on the lid. The train must have masked the noise. But when the trunk suddenly moved- were they taking it off the train?-I bumped my head against your massive sneekoscope- why did you bring that thing anyway? It's rubbish; it started spinning as soon as I got in there and hasn't stopped." Lily pointed at a piece of black metal lying in the trunk. "I smashed it a few hours ago." Albus almost smiled at the confidence in which Lily revealed the destruction of a possession older than her. "I'm just glad it didn't start screaming- I'd have been deafened! I think Dad must have silenced it. And then when I got hit, everything went dark for a bit, I think I was unconscious, and then I woke up again and you heard me this time, but I was so scared and I thought you were never going to rescue me and-"

"Shh," Albus put an arm around Lily. "I'm proud of you for using magic, Lils. No one's going to get angry at you, we just need to get you to McGonagall and-"

"Don't tell them, Al! Please!" cried Lily.

For what seemed the millionth time in 24 hours, Albus sighed.

"Why?" Albus asked.

"I don't want Mum and Dad to find out." sobbed Lily.

This idea seemed stupid to Albus. "Course I won't," Albus lied. "Not if you don't want me to. But they won't mind, you know."

"I just want to go home" whispered Lily.

"I know" said Albus. He gave Lily a quick hug and then got down to business."So how do we get you back then?"

"You can apparate us. Both of us."

Albus' mouth dropped open. How on earth could she know he could apparate?

From the moment they could walk, Harry had attempted to teach all three children spells that "might come in handy someday". After a particularly gruesome "accident" involving three tennis balls squashed up the seven year old Albus's nose, he had come back from St. Mungo's hospital to find James and Lily had been practicing 'Expelliarmus' (Lily, with no luck) in their living room. Albus, unwilling to see James again, had lingered in the corridor for a little longer than usual and had happened to come across, lying on the floor by a rather ancient cupboard under the stairs that his father had put in for some reason, a very old book of his mother's entitled "Apparition made easy". Hiding it in his room, he had gone back to practice disarming with James. The prospect of the book had kept Albus exited and laughing throughout the day, not even minding when he was hit by a rather nasty stunning spell from his friend and near enough brother, Ted "Teddy" Lupin, who was over for lunch. Later that night, he closed the large wooden door that separated his bedroom from James', and opened the book. It would have been complex for a seventeen year old; near enough impossible for Albus's seven years, but Albus Severus Potter was never one to give up. A few nights later, he started. Only in the dead of night did he dare to open the book and practice the magic that was, at his young age, illegal- for good reasons, and he found them out pretty quickly. He was never seriously splinched, but his mother had fixed a few absent fingers and once, somehow, a missing left kidney- he had put this down to one of James' tricks, and James was very happy to take the credit. They should have realised, really, but no one did, as far as he knew. And when he was eight, he could easily apparate from his room to the kitchen every morning. He still had to be careful, though, that nobody saw him: he liked the feeling of being able to do something James and Lily couldn't, and the thrill of the secret ensured Albus's silence to the others. So how could Lily possibly know?

"You really thought it was a secret?" Lily laughed, when she saw his expression. "You couldn't have thought this would escape Ministry of Magic notice? Oh they let you carry on, you being Harry Potter's son and all, and you could do it safely so..." she shrugged.

A cold shiver ran down Albus's body.

"Lily..." he said slowly. "How do you know about the Ministry's secrets?"

Immediately, Lily's face contorted. Her hand suddenly gripped, hard, around Albus's wrist. Albus looked up at her face, except it wasn't her face. It was changing, morphing into an older, male face; Chinese looking with long black hair and a stubbly beard. There was a long scar on the man's pale white face that stretched from his right ear to his nose. His body was also changing. He sat taller in his seat and Albus could feel the hand on his arm growing bigger, he could feel the hair that covered it and a sharp pain meant his fingernails were digging into Albus's hand. Albus winced and looked down to see drops of blood spilling out of it. His clothes were unchanged, yet Lily's dark blue jeans and plain red T Shirt were clearly far too small for his six feet, though the gap between the jeans and T Shirt showed his skeletally thin body. The jeans rose nearly a foot above the ankle and the neck hole in the T Shirt looked about to suffocate him. But this was a face Albus knew, a face he had seen so many times inside his father's copies of the Daily Prophet: this was the face of Konan Mau.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The arrival of the world's first metanimorph had originally been disguised by the war, and, it seemed, Mau's mother and father. It seemed that Konan Mau could not only change his face, or even his full appearance, but he could become anything from a tiny child to a thousand year old lady. Animals were no problem for him, as well, for it was simply second nature for him. It was assumed that his parents had been fatalities in the battle of Hogwarts, as he, a helpless toddler, had been left wondering the grounds after it had ended, screaming for "Mummy and Daddy". He had been taken in by the Mau family, a kindly couple who had lost their only child to notorious Fenrier Greyback. They had named him, cared for him, and of course did not fail to discover his abilities. The Wizarding World was notified and it seemed an exciting new era was coming: many speculated that Mau was the first of many metanimorphs. The front page of the Daily Prophet featured a new Mau story every day... until the Twenty-Fourth of December that year.

It had happened suddenly, in the dead of night. The world was notified by a loud, piercing scream that shook the whole neighbourhood. When the Department of Magical Law Enforcement arrived, having battled their way through the bitter snow and wind, Robert and Carol Mau were lying, motionless, on the floor by their bed, blood trickling from their foreheads and mouths. And Konan stood in his room, looking out the window. Not crying, not searching for his guardians' attackers, just watching. He never spoke after that, until many years after.

Some said the boy had snapped, gone round the bend, driven mad by his misfortune and fame. Others argued what a brave little boy he was, not to cry, how he must have fought off the murderer. But then, some said that the boy was the murderer.

Until the age of seven, Konan had lived in the "special" ward of Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, being treated for "shock". And then, suddenly, disaster struck again. Mau's personal nurse had died in the night. A coincidence, some might say. Or perhaps not. And as Mau sat on the floor, playing with his little muggle tin soldiers, surrounded by Daily Prophet reporters, he had looked up and said one word, just one.

"Gone."

With a new nurse and a wide berth, Mau had somehow remained inarticulate for the four years remaining in the ward the Daily Prophet had christened as "Prison in all but name" and been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had said nothing as he boarded the Hogwarts Express with no friends, gave no reaction as a particularly irate Peeves the Poltergeist dropped three dungbombs and a half a water pistol in quick succession onto his head. Not even the slightest of emotions could be seen on his face as the sorting hat had announced to the hall that he was to be placed in not Slytherin, as Mau's critics had predicted, but Ravenclaw. An outcast always, but a clever one. He learned spells non-verbally with help from the then new Professor Longbottom and obtained twelve NEWTs with Outstanding. And then, just as suddenly as he had been found all those years ago, he vanished without a trace. Disappearances were hardly uncommon in these times, so Mau became just another face in the paper. No one wanted for him, no one cared. If Mau's purpose was to isolate himself from the rest of the world, he'd achieved it. Those who could bear to read through the endless missing names and faces simply assumed that, like all the others, the Syndicate were to blame. And yet how was Albus seeing him now?

As Mau stood up, Albus noticed his mouth- no smile marks; his teeth- yellow and decayed; his hair- unkempt and greasy. These features gave him a barbaric look, but it was his eyes most of all that terrified Albus. One eye an ordinary light brown, the other a pure gold, they seemed to have a way of drawing him in... holding him in their gaze... trapping him. And yet when Albus looked past the colours, there was nothing there, no light within his eyes. No light within his soul. Mau stood over Albus, breathing quickly and heavily. He pointed a long thin wand at his own throat and a gold light flooded around his chin, and then vanished. And when he spoke again, it was not with Lily Potter's voice.

"I had hoped do this quietly and simply," he sneered, in the broken English of a two year old child, or a foreigner's shaky tones: The inarticulate nature of Mau's childhood showed through in his disjointed and unpractised accent. "But I see you are not willing."

Mau then pointed towards the staircase Albus had recently descended with his sister's impersonator with his wand. After a few seconds, he lowered it again. "The Muffliato charm," he whispered. "No one can hear us."

Albus was terrified. "What- What do you want with me?" he said, tripping over the words and yet still sounding ten times braver than he felt. His hands were shaking so violently that Mau's hand on his arm began to follow suit, and Mau clenched tighter, snarling, in an attempt to keep it still.

"I need not you," he said, forcing Albus's hand down onto the squashy red fabric of the armchair he was sitting in. "Only your residence. You will lead me to your place of residence and let me in. You will tell no one. You can no doubt access the household and bypass the Fidalius Charm."

But why? Thought Albus. He gulped. Deciding that an answer to this question was unlikely to be given willingly to him, Albus asked instead about clearly the most important matter of them all.

"What have you done with Lily? If she's hurt, I-"

"I have no quarrel with your sister, nor you." Mau interrupted. "Your sister is but sleeping, somewhere. She will be returned once we have the-" Mau paused, clearly on the verge of saying something he shouldn't. "...Once we have completed the task. If it is not completed..."

Mau let the sentence hang, the words still echoing throughout the room and clutching at the dry air. Albus weighed out his options. He didn't know what Mau wanted, but it probably wasn't good. But Mau had Lily. And if Albus didn't obey him, she might... Don't think about that! Albus told himself. But as the forbidden thoughts circled tauntingly around his mind, an overwhelming sense of defensiveness arose in Albus. He knew in that second that he would never, ever let anyone harm his sister. Even if it meant being hurt himself, he would make sure Mau never laid a finger upon Lily. He had no choice.

"I'll...cooperate." Albus stammered. "But only for Lily, d'you hear? She gets returned safely home as soon as you've done whatever it is you're going to do."

What could almost be seen as a smile appeared on Mau's face. Twisted and unpractised, but a smile nonetheless. Somehow, this didn't comfort Albus at all. Mau uttered a wheeze that could, at a stretch, have been mistaken for a laugh.

"Foolish boy. You think you can control us? The safety of your sister will depend upon your cooperation. And if she ceases to be..." Mau was definitely smiling now, enjoying Albus's horrified reaction. "It is your fault and yours alone."

Mau straightened up, pulling Albus up with him, and began to walk towards the portrait hole.  
"You will apparate us both from the village of Hogsmede" said Mau softly.

"Wait!" said Albus, desperate to delay time. "Um... Won't you get noticed, walking through the corridors?"

Mau gave Albus another snide smile, making him shiver.

"Not when I have the perfect disguise."

Mau's body once again contorted to form a face Albus knew better than his own. Mau's skeletal body now looked healthier, his hair shorter, and his chin cleanshaven. His now bright green eyes hidden behind a battered pair of round wooden glasses which Mau had withdrawn from a pocket, Harry Potter's face and body stood in front of Albus; lightening shaped scar and all. Albus stood, somehow terrified by the figure of his kindly father that had previously inspired laughter, happiness, even sometimes worry, but now represented one emotion only: pure, undiluted fear. Mau pulled a set of long green robes from one of Lily's trainers, which seemed to have been affected by some sort of extension charm, and put them on over Lily's clothes, which were now bursting at the seams.

Anger overcame Albus. "This isn't typical Syndicate behaviour, is it? Got bored of mass murders have you?" he shouted.

"The Syndicate does not murder anyone. It frees them from the backwards society of the Wizarding World. And no one is taken- they choose to come. And now you will come with me." whispered Harry/Mau.

Albus was frantic. "No, wait, what's the magical... Is there a reason... I mean, why does it have to be the village? Surely we could apparate in the corridor or something?"

Yes! Albus thought. From a corridor, someone was sure to notice them- maybe there were even alarms or something when someone apparated from inside Hogwarts.

Mau, however, gave Albus one of the coldest looks he had ever seen and with the words "I suggest you read 'Hogwarts: A History'", he walked out the portrait hole, dragging Albus along with him by the wrist.


End file.
